125 Items Tagged

Time

Leuven, Belgium

The Inventor of Time Travel Plaque

Above the door of a house, a plaque claims to commemorate the future living place of the inventor of time travel.

The Respected Oxford Professors Who Say They Time Traveled

Two Victorian academics believed they saw Marie Antoinette at Versailles.

Chris Wheatley March 12, 2024

London, England

Paddington Real Time Clock

Look up from the busy streets to discover how time is kept!

A World War I-era poster extolling the value of Daylight Saving Time—which may actually do more harm than good.

Why Daylight Saving Time Messes With Your Brain

To "spring forward" is more damaging to our health than to "fall back," according to some surprising science.

Beth Ann Malow March 6, 2024

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Allen-Bradley Clock Tower

This was once the largest four-sided clock in the world (yes, even bigger than Big Ben).

Does the early bird actually get the worm?

Most States Start School Too Early in the Morning

This map shows which parts of the U.S. ignore the science.

Frank Jacobs December 29, 2023

Kirkcaldy, Scotland

Fleming Memorial Sundial

An ingenious way to immortalize the inventor of universal time.

Grafton, Massachusetts

Willard House & Clock Museum

The world's most comprehensive collection of Willard timepieces is a celebration of early American clockmaking.

Sisters Aly and AJ Michalka didn't have many family heirlooms—so they started collecting vintage watches they could pass down.

For Pop Duo Aly & AJ, Vintage Watches Tell Stories and Keep the Past Alive

And wearing them onstage adds another tale to each timepiece.

Sarah Durn September 19, 2023

NIST physicists Steve Jefferts (foreground) and Tom Heavner with the NIST-F2 cesium fountain atomic clock

Podcast: The Atomic Clock

The one clock that sets them all.

The Podcast Team September 14, 2023

Vienna, Austria

Ankeruhr

A mechanical clock built in 1914, with a rotation of 12 historical figures on its face.

Cape Town, South Africa

Time Ball Tower

A 19th-century relic of timekeeping.

Noon Gun firing

Cape Town, South Africa

The Noon Gun

From atop a hill at the center of Cape Town, a cannon has been signalling the time since 1806.

Saint Petersburg, Russia

Raketa Watch Factory

An iconic Russian watch brand inspired by Yuri Gagarin's trip to outer space.

Rotterdam, Netherlands

Sweepers Clock

The hands on this clock appear to be created by two workers sweeping debris into careful positions.

Syracuse, New York

24-Second Shot Clock Monument

This monument pays tribute to the city’s contribution to basketball history.

All illustrations: John Mata for Atlas Obscura

Puzzle Monday: Tick Tock Stars Crossword

AO Puzzles November 28, 2022

Fortnum & Mason emerging

London, England

The Fortnum & Mason Clock

At the top of the hour, figures of the London department store's two co-founders emerge and bow to each other.